THE traveler, crossing
the State on the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, & Indianapolis
Railway, passes through but one village in Morrow County, and
that is Cardington. This is a village of 1,362
inhabitants, by the census of the present year; it is situated
in the southeast corner of the township of the same name,
ninety-eight miles southwest of Cleveland and thirty-eight north
of Columbus. Its latitude is 40½°
north, and about 6° west longitude. A line drawn from
Cincinnati, the metropolis of the State, to Cleveland, the
second city, passes through the village; another line, drawn
from the northwest corner of the State to Marietta in the
southeast, the oldest city, will cross the first line in
Cardington; so that, like the city of Duluth, "it is supposed to
be so exactly in the center of the visible universe that the sky
comes down at the same distance all around it." But this
is the village of to-day. Forty years ago, it ranked below
the village of Woodbury, and was called a town only as a matter
of courtesy. A straggling collection of dwellings at the
east end of town, that in 1836 counted only six dwellings, with
the saw and grist mills, and the carding-mill and two cabins at
the west end, marked the site of Cardington. One street
wound along the river bank from the ford at the site of Bunker's
mill to the carding-mill, and then on to the Delaware road.
Where Main crosses Marion street, a "cat-tail swamp" barred the
way, and a single tavern and store represented the hospitality
and commercial enterprise of the place. But little remains
now to point out the changes that have been made since that day.
Here and there about two some old structure is pointed out
beneath its modern disguise as one of he land-marks of that
time. There is the old water-mill, built in 1840 by
Shunk & Wolfe, with the same old building, but containing
such improvements in machinery as would be likely to confound
the early proprietors. The house on the race, back of E.
Winebar's, is another relic of the early times, and about
which cluster the memories of the earliest settlers, while those
owned by John Leutz, and Andrew Great have
witnessed the changes from a time scarcely less early. The
stable of C. P. Nichols has had a varied existence.
Built in 1839 for a stable by Martin Brockway, it stood
on the south side of Second street, opposite John Sanderson's
livery stable. In 1852, Leumas Cook brought it,
and, moving it to where Harvey Bunker's livery stable
stands, converted it into a grist-mill, applying the first steam
power ever used in the town. After serving in this
capacity for eight or ten years, it was sold again and resumed
its character of stable, and is now occupied for livery
purposes. Of those who were actors upon the scene at that
time, there are twelve persons remaining. Leumas Cook
and wife, Mrs. Hannah Brockway, Mrs. Anna Wolfe, Julia
Hartsock, Thomas C. Thompson, Dubois St. John, Sarah A. Bailey,
Mary Badger [Pages 333
& 334]
E. J. CRANE
[Page 335]
Mary Long, Mrs. Harriet Prophet, and Elihu Bunker.
The Bunker property remained
in the hands of Cook and Shunk two or three yeas,
when in 1836 they laid out the town. They soon after
dissolved partnership, Cook retaining the village
property and Shunk taking the mills and water privileges.
In 1839, Charles H. Wolfe came here from Maryland with
his wife and child, and purchased an interest in the mills with
Shunk, a partnership that terminated only with the death
of Mr. Shunk in 1864. Three years before the coming
of Wolfe, Thomas C. Thompson came from the same
State, a young unmarried man, and set up a carriage-shop.
A year later, having established himself in his business,
He returned to Maryland and brought back the sister of John
Shunk as his wife. In 1837, Anson St. John came
here, a widower with three children, and established a
cabinet-shop on the bank of the river in the east part of town.
Here he manufactured the first furniture made in the place, and
carried a stock of goods that was the pride of the town. A
lathe run by horse power was one of his conspicuous advantages
over competitors in the surrounding county, giving his work a
superior finish and his shop greater facilities that told on the
customer. But, notwithstanding these additions, the town
made but a very small show for a city. Up to the coming of
the railroad, the place exhibited no particular vitality, and,
in fact, was rather retrograding. Chesterville at that
time was the metropolis of the county, with a lively
struggle between Mount Gilead and Cardington for second place.
The nearest point to secure supplies was at Mansfield, which was
then the terminus of the old Mansfield railroad. Here,
whoever had business to that place, put on what goods they could
haul and brought them back to his neighbors. A small
tin-shop owned and run by Dubois St. John got all of its
supplies here, going over eighteen or twenty miles for the
little stuff he found sale for in the way of his trade. In
1848, came the formation of the county, and with it a "boom" for
Mount Gilead, making it in a short time the most important
village in the county. At this time the Scriptural
injunction, "let him that standeth take heed lest he fall"
would have served the county seat an excellent purpose if it had
been heeded. The building of the new railroad was
projected, and soon took shape, so that the village was asked to
subscribe for the enterprise. Fifty thousand dollars worth
of stock was at once taken and the line surveyed out. At
this juncture the managers, desiring to make sure against any
failure on the part of the subscribers, came to Mount Gilead, as
to other places, to get security for the subscriptions before
the work was begun. The parties there, feeling sure that
the road would go through, temporized and failed to give the
desired guarantees, and the railroad magnates left, in no
amiable mood. Coming to Cardington they stopped with
John Shunk, who was a man of shrewd intellect and kept
hotel. The town had but little means and could not compete
with the county seat in subscription, but Shunk suggested
that if they would follow the line surveyed in 1830, for the
Ohio Canal, which passed about two miles west of Mount Gilead,
they would save nearly as much as they had subscribed.
This suggestion fell upon willing ears, and the line was laid
out in that way. One day, it is said, some Gilead parties
were in Cardington, and, noticing some men working along the
proposed route through town, inquired what was going on.
"That is the line of the new railroad," was the reply. The
astonishment and chagrin of the man from Gilead was all that
their rivals could have asked. Great efforts were made to
counteract the effects of their short-sighted policy, but it was
in vain, and Cardington gained what was far more valuable to her
interests than the seat of justice. During the year 1850,
the work on the road was rapidly pushed and finally completed,
so that the first train passed over the road in January, 1851.
Ira and George Nichols, of this village, contracted for
and built several sections of the road, along where it passes
Levering Station. There was a good deal of hard feeling
expressed over the failure of Mount Gilead, and some of the
farmers did all
[Page 336]
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[Page 338]
[Page 339]
[Page 340 - 341]
the bank of the river. The members of the department
were at one time provided with a uniform, but the frequent
changes in the membership, and the wear and tear of service have
long since spoiled its effect, and it has been abandoned.
The early records of the Common Council have been
partially lost, but enough remains in the recently published
book of ordinances to satisfy one that their labors have not
been arduous, nor especially memorable. There has been no
occasion for great display of statesmanship or financial
ability. No great undertaking has been engaged in, and,
save in the matter of grading the streets and the purchase of
the engine, no considerable expenditure has ever been made, or
bonds negotiated. The village is now nearly out of debt,
and that without excessive taxation. The officers first
elected were the Mayor, Recorder, Treasurer, Marshal and five
Councilmen, until 1870, when the number of the latter was raised
to six. An engineer was appointed, in 1858 a Street
Commissioner was added, and in 1861 the office of engineer
abolished. In 1866 a Health Officer was made a regular
part of the administration, to be abolished in the following
year. In 1878 the offices of Street Commissioner and City
Solicitor were established, thought the former seems to have
been a regular member of each administration since 1858.
The list of officers since the incorporation of the village is
as follows:
1857 - |
Mayor, John Shur; Recorder,
Robert Johnson; Treasurer, John Beatty; Engineer, Simon
Rosenthal; Marshal, D. B. Peck.
Councilmen - G. W. Stark, J. C. James, James Gregory,
Jr., Jeremiah Shunk, Levi Maxwell. |
1858 - |
Mayor, Daniel Wiedner;
Recorder, A. C. Shur;1 Treasurer, John
Beatty; Engineer, Simon Rosenthal; Marshal, W. T.
Armstrong; Street Commissioners, George Miller.2
Councilmen - G. W. Stark, J. C. Goodman, A. W. Bartlett,
D. L. Swingley, James Gregory, Jr. |
1859 - |
Mayor, Charles Maxell;3
Recorder, James W. Likens; Treasurer, F. E. Phelps;4
Engineer (record lost); Street Commissioner (record
lost); Marshal (record lost).
Councilmen - G. W. Stark, William Shunk, A. W. Bartlett,
Stephen Brown, Samuel Cook. |
1860 - |
Mayor, Daniel Norris;
Treasurer, W. F. Armstrong. The rest of the record
is lost. |
1861 - |
Mayor, John Andrews;
Recorder, Harlos Ashley;5 Treasurer, A. H.
Shunk; Engineers (dropped); Street Commissioner, Wm.
Lamprecht; 6 Marshal, J. Hughes.
Councilmen - A. H. Shunk, J. L. Dana, Wm. Lamprecht, J.
W. Marvin, G. R. Cunningham. |
1862 - |
Mayor, J. C. Godman;
Recorder, O. W. Cadwallader; Treasurer, David Armstrong,
Jr.; Street Commissioner, W. C. Nichols; Marshal, W. A.
Cunningham.7
Councilmen - J. C. Ward, W. C. Nichols, S. Brown, David
Armstrong, Jr., I. N. Burt. |
1863 - |
Mayor, John Andrews;8
Recorder, David Wagner; Treasurer, A. C. Shur; Street
Commissioner, W. C. Nichols; Marshal, C. R. Morehouse.
Councilmen - M. L. Mooney, A. H. Grant, A. C. Shur, A.
H. Green. |
1864 - |
Mayor, W. C. Nichols;
Recorder, F. L. Wallace; 9 Treasurer, A. J.
Blake; Marshal, W. H. Conklin; Street Commissioner, S.
Brown;
Councilmen - A. J. Blake, D. Wagner, A. H. Green, T. H.
Ensign, Arthur Taylor 10 |
1865 - |
Mayor, W. C. Nichols;
Recorder, H. H. Sterner; Treasurer, A. J. Blake; Street
Commissioner, G. W. Bell; Marshal, W. A. Conklin.
Councilmen - A. J. Blake, F. E. Phelps, A. K. Earl, D.
Wagner, 11 J. Richards.12 |
1866 - |
Mayor, W. C. Nichols;
Recorder, Charles B. Lindsay;13 Treasurer, M.
L. Mooney; Street Commissioner, G. W. Bell; Marshal, F.
M. Sargean;14 Health Officer, Dr. A. S.
Weatherby;
Councilmen - F. E. Phelps, M. L. Mooney; J. S. Peck,15
T. H. Ensign, A. H. Grant.16. |
1867 - |
Mayor, G. P. Stiles;
Recorder, H. S. Green; Treasurer, Z. L. White; Street
Commissioner, G. W. Bell; Marshal, Samuel Shoemaker.
Councilmen - Z. L. White, T. E. Duncan, G. R.
Cunningham, S. W. Gregory, J. W. Marvin. |
1868 - |
Mayor, J. B. Clark;
Recorder, R. M. Underwood; Treasurer, S. W. Gregory;
Street Commissioner, G. W. Bell;17 Marshal,
J. R. Brown 18
Councilmen - S. W. Gregory, E. Weatherby, D. St. John,
W. Shunk,19 E. Burt. |
1869 - |
Mayor, W. C. Nichols;
Recorder, H. H. Pollock; Treasurer, J. S. Peck; Street
Commissioner, A. H. Green; Marshal, W. H. VanHorn.
Councilmen - J. S. Peck, T. H. Ensign, C. W. Case, L. F.
Hager, A. H. Grant. |
1870 - |
Mayor, A. K. Earl;
Recorder, G. H. Wright; Treasurer, D. St. John; Street
Commissioner, G. W. Bell; Marshal, A. J. Shoemaker.
Councilmen - C. W. Case, E. Bart, S. W. Gregory, John
Sanderson, B. B. Crane, R. F. Chase. |
1871 - |
Mayor, A. K. Earl;20
Recorder, G. H. Wright; Treasurer, D. St. John; Street
Commissioner, D. C. Peck; Marshal, John Irvin.21
Councilmen - D. C. Peck,22 B. B. Crane, John
Bayer, John Sanderson, G. R. Cunningham, E. Winebar.
|
1872 - |
Mayor, S. Brown; Recorder,
G. M. Brown;23 Treasurer, D. St. John; Street
Commissioner,24 D. C. Peck; Marshal, A. Van
Horn.
Councilmen - M. Lewis, E. Bart, John Bayer, E. Winebar,
E. S. Badger, G. R. Cunningham. |
1873 - |
Mayor, S. Brown;25
Recorder, J. Sanderson, Jr.; Treasurer, D. St. John;
Street Commissioner, Lester Bartlett;26
Marshal, H. Van Horn.
Councilmen - E. S. Badger, A. J.
Pittenger, E. Winebar, C. W. Case, G. R.
Cunningham,27 J. H. Benson. |
1874 - |
Mayor, William G. Betty;28
Recorder, W. H. Fiedler; Treasurer, D. St. John;
Street Commissioner, H. Van Horn; Marshal, H. Van Horn.
Councilmen - J. H. Benson, T. Duncan, Jacob Demuth,
A. J. Pittenger, E. Winebar,
G. W. Bell. |
1875 - |
Mayor, J. C. Bump; 29
Recorder, W. H. Fiedler; Treasurer, D. St. John; Street
Commissioner, H. Van Horn; Marshal, H. Van Horn.
Councilmen - Jacob Demuth, Asa McCrary, L. R. Miller, J.
S. Peck, A. J. Pittenger,
E. Winebar. |
1876 - |
Mayor, Seth Cook; Recorder,
Z. B. Taylor; Treasurer, E. Winebar; Street
Commissioner, H. Van Horn; Marshal, H. Van Horn.
Councilmen - L. R. Miller, J. W. Ryan, Thad, Worthlin,
John Weist, Asa McCreany, A. J.
Pittenger. |
1877 - |
Mayor, Seth Cook; Recorder,
Z. B. Taylor; Treasurer, E. Winebar; Street
Commissioner, H. Van Horn; Marshal, H. Van Horn.
Councilmen - A. J. Pittenger,
J. W. Ryan, John Weist, J. W. Shaw, Thad. Worthlin, Asa
McCreary. |
1878 - |
Mayor, C. W. Case;
Recorder, Z. B.Taylor; Treasurer, T. W. Long; Street
Commissioner, H. Van Horn; Marshal, H. Van Horn.
Councilmen - John Weist, J. W. Ryan, Asa McCreary, J. W.
Shaw, George Dawson, A. J. Pittenger. |
1879 - |
Mayor, C. W. Case;
Recorder, Z. B. Taylor; Treasurer T. W. Long; City
Solicitor, T. S. White; Street Commissioner, H. Van
Horn; Marhsal, H. Van Horn.
Councilmen - A. J. Pittenger,
John Weist, C. Vanbrimmer, L. H. Pennock, Henry Bailey,
G. B. Gray. |
1880 - |
Mayor, J. B. Waring;
Recorder, J. P. Scott; Treasurer, E. Winebar; City
Solicitor, T. S. White; Street Commissioner, C. E.
Terry; Marshal, C. E. Terry.
Councilmen - R. F. Bartlett, G. B. Gray, Henry Bailey,
Thad. Worthlin, R. M. Underwood, James Cavert |
NOTES:
1. Resigned, and Jeremiah Shunk appointed to fill the vacancy.
2. Resigned, and C. P. Shur appointed to fill the vacancy.
3. Resigned, and T. W. McCoy appointed to fill vacancy.
4. Resigned and Jeremiah Shunk appointed to fill vacancy.
5. Resigned, and O. W. Cadwallader appointed to fill vacancy
6. Resigned, and G. W. Stark appointed to fill vacancy. Stark
also resigned, and A. H. Green appointed to fill vacancy
7. Resigned, and Daniel Benson appointed to fill vacancy.
8. Resigned, and S. Brown appointed to fill vacancy.
9. Resigned, and H. H. Sterner appointed to fill vacancy.
10. Resigned, and F. E. Phelps appointed to fill vacancy.
11. Resigned, and J. S. Peck appointed to fill vacancy.
12. Resigned, and Jacob Demuth appointed to fill vacancy.
13. Resigned, and H. S. Green appointed to fill vacancy.
14. Resigned, and W. A. Conklin appointed to fill vacancy
15. Resigned, and Thos. E. Duncan appointed to fill vacancy
16. Resigned, and Z. L. White appointed to fill vacancy
17. Resigned and Sam'l Benson appointed to fill vacancy.
Benson resigned and Bell appointed to fill vacancy.
18. Resigned and George W. Reed appointed to fill vacancy
19. Resigned and John Andrews appointed to fill vacancy
20. Resigned and S. Brown appointed to fill vacancy
21. Resigned and A. C. Galpin appointed to fill vacancy
22. Resigned and Morgan Lewis appointed to fill vacancy
23. Resigned and W. H. Cordrey appointed to fill vacancy
24. Resigned and Lester Bartlett appointed to fill vacancy
25. Resigned and D. C. Peck appointed to fill vacancy
26. Resigned and D. C. Peck appointed to fill vacancy
27. Resigned and D. H. Hindman appointed to fill vacancy
28. Resigned and J. C. Bump appointed to fill vacancy
29. Resigned and A. M. Earl appointed. Earl resigned and
R. T. Mills appointed to fill vacancy.
[Page 342]
The rise and
early growth of the business of Cardington has been referred to
elsewhere. The progress from Bunker's single little store,
followed by Peter Doty, Robert Jeffries, John Shunk, Shunk &
Wolfe, Martin Brockway, David Armstrong and John Shur,
covers the growth in business for some thirty years. The
advantages offered by the river and railroad were largely
counter-balanced by the strong competition offered by
Chesterville and Mount Gilead. But time gradually told in
favor of this village, and at the beginning of the war a class
of enterprising men had become established in business, and made
Cardington, during that period, one of the most active little
towns in Central Ohio. About 1863-64, there were nine or
ten business houses doing an annual business varying from
$20,000 to $50,000, whose daily sales on special occasions
reached from $300 to $800 per day. The result of this
prosperity was the erection of the fine business blocks that
adorn the main streets of the village. In 1867, the
"Enterprise Block" was put up. During the previous year,
parties had given encouragement to a man from Delaware, that if
he would come to the village and make the brick they would use
them in buildings. For some reason these parties failed to
take the brick, and the man of mud found himself in a
predicament which threatened to swamp him financially.
Through his efforts and those of Hon. T. E. Duncan, who
owned the land on which the building stands, the block was put
up at a cost of about $12,000. To facilitate the project,
the land was divided to suit those desiring storerooms, and all
put up together. The parties joining in the enterprise
were Dubois St. John, a Mr. Crane, White & Chase, Duncan
and Shunk & Wagner. This block stands on the west
side of Marion street. The next business block was that of
Marvin & Shaw on the opposite side of the street, built
at a probable cost of some $7,000. In 1876 the stone bank
building and the St. John Block, and in the following year the
Beatty & Chase Block were put up on Main street, the
whole costing some $25,000. The Brooks & Parvis Bros.
Block was erected on Main street in 1878. These buildings
afford ample room for all the important business houses in the
village. Since the close of the war and the depression of
business, the unwonted activity of 1863 has given place to a
much more quiet life in business circles, and quite a number of
the old wooden buildings are now standing empty. In the
matter of manufactures, though not reaching the development in
this branch as in the mercantile trade, the village has had a
steadier and more permanent growth. The Bunker
enterprise gradually died out after the bankruptcy of the
originator of the project, and was succeeded some years later by
a saw and grist mill, built on the site of the old Bunker
mills. In 1856 John Gregory and Mrs. Israel Hite
built a steam mill on the bank of the river, just where the
railroad now passes. This was run about a year when it
changed owners. It did not prove valuable property for
some reason and changed hands frequently until 1867, when
John Cline bought it and transformed it into a woolen mill.
It ran for several years in the business, when the proprietor
failed, and the mill, after lying still for some two years,
Matthias Lowyer bought it and continued the business.
The mill now manufactures knitting yarn and some common grades
of cloth, but there is no means of ascertaining its business, as
no complete books are kept and the only interest seems to be
that the establishment does not lose money. It is
supported by a local trade that keeps the mill running most of
the year. The machinery of the old carding-mill, its
predecessor, which has been idle here for years has just been
sold and is to be moved East. In 1840, the old water-mill,
standing on the bank of the river, near Marion street, was built
by Wolfe & Shunk. In 1877, it passed into
[Page 343]
the hands of Mills & Dawson. Up to this time it has
depended upon the water brought from the dam by the mill-race,
but R. T. Mills having erected a steam saw-mill just west
of the old mill, arrangements were made to make the engine of
that establishment serve the grist-mill by means of a wire rope.
Since the new proprietors have come into possession of thismill,
new machinery has been introduced until it is now in every
respect prepared to do first-class work. It is the only
mill now doing custom work and has a capacity of twenty barrels
in the day and night. In 1870, the Cardington Flouring
Mill Company was formed, with a capital of $15,000. The
company consisted of I. H. Pennock, John Beatty, W. G.
Beatty, D. St. John, T. E. Duncan, J. H. Benson, and the
Dawson Brothers. They bought the Andrews' warehouse
and fitted up a steam mill that did for some years an extensive
business. The business failed, however, in 1877, and the mill
lay idle for two years, when it was bought by Dawson & Taylor.
It has been furnished with every modern improvement, has four
run on buhrs stones with a capacity of turning out sixty barrels
of flour in twenty-four hours. Power is furnished by a
sixty-horse-power engine situated in a brick inclosure built on
the south part of the main building. This is situated on
the west side of the railroad track near the depot, and is run
exclusively on commercial work.
Another prominent enterprise of the village is the
furniture factory of J. S. Peck. This industry had
an early origin in Cardington. In 1844, Anson St. John
supplied the village and the surrounding country. In 1851,
Edbert Payne established a shop for the prosecution of this
business, but, after continuing it for a few years, sold out and
went West. In 1863, Mr. Peck, with his brother,
opened a small store in a frame building, where his retail store
now stands. Asa McCreary at that time had a small
furniture store in a building where the St. John Block
now stands. Soon after his coming here, Mr. Peck
bought out McCreary, and a little later bought his
brother's interest. He early began manufacturing and
building up a wholesale business, occupying a frame building on
Second street, opposite his present establishment, and using
horse power to run his lathe and other machinery. He
afterward put in an engine, but the business was expanding, and
feeling the danger in case of a fire, he erected, in the fall of
1876, a three-story brick building, on the corner of Second and
Depot streets, 42x75 feet, which is devoted entirely to certain
lines of furniture. The most of the machinery is on the
first floor, and is of the most improved patterns.
Fire-proof doors close the entrance to the engine-room, and
throughout the building in the upper stories, between the
various rooms, the doors are sued to guard against fire.
The building and dryhouse are heated by exhaust steam, and the
latter provided with an elevator. In manufacturing, Mr.
Peck makes a specialty of bedsteads, employing some $30,000.
Adjoining this establishment is the planing-mill and lumber-yard
of Levi Maxwell. Something over thirty-five years
ago, he came from Clarksburg, W. Va., and, engaging in the
business of carpenter and joiner, has probably put up more
buildings than any other mechanic in the village. His
first dwelling was for Dr. White in 1848, now owned by
Mrs. Mosher. In 1874, he bought the lumber-yard of
Levi Reichelderfer. After purchasing this property, he
used the machinery of Peck, but as business increased, he
bought machinery of his own, and on the erection of the Peck
Block, he rented the north end of the building for his
machinery, renting the motor power of Mr. Peck.
Since 1873, Mr. Maxwell has built up a business that
reaches in extent of its sales to $25,000 annually.
The manufacture of wagons and carriages was one of the
earliest industries of the place. Bunker, the early
founder of the village, was a successful wagon-maker in Vermont,
and notwithstanding the numerous projects that divided his
attention, he found time to devote to his old business in the
new country. Succeeding him came Thomas C. Thompson,
[Page 344]
who established a carriage-shop in 1836 on the property now
owned by J. M. White. In 1847, J. H. Fluckey
commenced the blacksmith business, doing custom work until 1873,
when he began the manufacture of carriages, which he is .....
MORE TO COME.........
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[Page 346]
[Page 347]
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[Page 349]
In 1867, Rev. S. Altman, a minister of the
United Brethren Church, held a protracted meeting in the
Methodist Protestant Church of this place, and to all appearance
was successful in getting up a genuine and sweeping revival of
religion. The meeting was of several weeks' continuance.
The best ministers of the connection were brought into
requisition, among them Bishop Weaver, and the altar for
many nights was crowded with penitents. Many professed
saving faith. A class of persons were professedly
converted that had never before been reached; I mean our
business men, and for a time it seemed that the citadel of Satan
must be taken. It was said a $10,000 church must be built,
and the best minister in the Conference must minister at the
altar. The meeting closed; a church of nar half a hundred
members was organized, and officers appointed, but, for some
cause the society was not formed here.
The German Lutheran is a small organization in the west
end of the town. It was organized in 1868 by F. G.
Edward Knauth. They have a neat place of worship,
valued at $1,100. They have twenty-eight members, over
whom the Rev. S. Hunsicher presides as Pastor. They
have services on alternate Sundays. The statistics of the
Sunday school are as follows: Scholars enrolled, 20;
average attendance, 15; number of classes, 5; number of
teachers, 5.
The Catholic Church formed an organization here about
1870. They have a small brick edifice, 24x30 feet.
They have no regular service, but are supplied by Father
Pilgrim, of Delaware, at irregular periods. They
congregation and denomination is composed of sixteen families,
and numbers about eighty persons.
The Cardington Lodge of Odd Fellows, No. 194, was
instituted Mar. 9, 1852, by W. G. Williams, M. G. M.,
with John Andrews, J. J. Richards, J. W. Likens, J. R. West,
Adam Wolfe, J. W. Place, L. Carpenter, David Smith and
George Granger as charter members. The first officers
were George Granger, N. G.; F. E. Phelps, Sec.;
Ruben Bunker, Per. Sec.; C. T. White, Treas.
Their first hall was in the building that stood on the northeast
corner of Main and Marion streets. They occupied this hall
until 1860, when the Starr building was moved on to the
southeast corner of these streets, on to a lot owned by the
society, and the second story was fitted up for their reception.
They moved into it at once and made their home here until the
destructive five of 1875 swept that corner, destroying the hall
with all its contents, occasioning a loss to the order of
$1,200. In the following year, when the Chase and Beatty
Block was built, the society put on the third story at an
expense of $7,000, including the furniture of the hall, a sum of
money which they had in the treasury of the order save perhaps,
$100. The lodge room is 42x72 feet, with commodious
committee and paraphernalia rooms on one side, opening out of
the main hall. The whole is finely fitted up and is
claimed to be the finest of its kind in Central Ohio. This
lodge has about 122 members, has paid out $14,000 for the relief
of the members, besides some $2,500 for charitable purposes,
independent of the order. In addition to their hall, the
lodge owns a lot with 53 feet front, on the southeast corner of
Main and Marion streets, which is valued at $5,000.
The Whetstone Encampment, No. 95, was instituted June
3, 1867, by William Slater, M . W. G. Patriarch, with
John Andrews, Levi Reichelderfer, A. H. Grant, A. W. Bartlett,
S. Brown, J. H. Fiedler, David Smith, Lewis Openheimer, W. F.
Armstrong, A. V. Conklin and D. B. Kinsell as charter
members. It numbers about sixty-two members.
Cardington Lodge, No. 384, Free and Accepted Masons,
was organized Feb. 5, 1867, with C. H. McElroy, W. S. Paul,
H. S. Green, J. W. Marvin, M. L. Mooney, M. Burns, G. W. Bell,
A. Weathersby, Andrew Caton, W. A. Hance, A. H. Shunk, as
charter members. Their first hall was in the north end of
the Enterprise Block, but they have recently moved into the
Brooks & Parvis Brothers' Block. The first officers
were: C. H. McElroy, W. M.; W. S. Paul, S. W.; A. H.
[Page 350]
Shunk, Sec.; G. W. Bell, Treas.; M. L. Mooney,
S. D.; H. S. Green, J. D.; Andrw Grant, Tiler.
The lodge has labored under some financial difficulties, but
they have a neat and commodious hall, and some ninety members in
all. The present officers are: D. N. Wherry, W.
M.; T. W. Long, S. W.; Jesse Rinehart, J. W.;
Judd Sherman, S. W.; R. H. Hirth, J. D.; T. H.
Ensign, Treas.; B. B. Crane, Sec.; S. Brown,
Tiler.
In 1835,
Cook and Shunk donated to the township one hundred
rods of land, in a square piece for the cemetery. This was
situated just northeast of the end in the river, and is now the
southeast corner of the new cemetery. In April, 1863,
Leumas Cook set apart fifteen and a half acres of land, west
of the old cemetery, and adjoining it on the north and west,
lying along the north bank of the river. This was surveyed
out into 163 lots, and forms a pleasant place for the purpose
for which it was designed.
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